This invention relates generally to a machine for assembling male fastener blanks such as screw blanks with washers preparatory to forming threads on the blanks to captivate the washers thereon. More specifically, the machine relates to a screw blank/washer assembly machine of the same general type as disclosed in Pomernacki U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,206 and Foster U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,866.
In those machines, washers are cascaded downwardly from a vibratory feeder onto a rotatable disc having a series of pockets spaced angularly around its periphery. As the disc rotates, the pockets pick up the washers and carry the washers to an assembly station where a screw blank is telescoped into each washer. The screw blanks are fed to a rotatable turret which carriers the blanks to the assembly station and effects telescoping of the blanks into the washers. The assembled blanks and washers then are delivered to a thread rolling machine.
The vibratory feeder of a machine of the type disclosed in the Pomernacki and Foster patents floods the disc with washers and supplies the disc with a significantly greater number of washers than can be accommodated by the pockets in the disc. As a result, many unaccommodated washers spill off of the disc. The unaccommodated washers are collected by another vibratory feed system which conveys the washers back to the main vibratory feeder for re-delivery to the disc.